TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 90
Today, the estate was peaceful as always.
After waking up late, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the Young Lady sitting in the corner of the corridor with a sullen expression.
[I will never fall in love again.]
The Young Lady, seated in a wheelchair, was wearing a wooden signboard with strange letters written on it around her neck.
Just looking at the scene made me feel good, so I smiled faintly and asked the Young Lady.
“What are you doing?”
“Being punished.”
“Punished?”
“Yeah. Older Brother told me to hold my hands up all day today.”
The Young Lady being punished on the orders of the Next Head of the Family. As expected of the eldest son of the Desmond Family, he was a cruel person who did not allow forgiveness without consequences.
Watching the Young Lady trembling as she held her hands up, I spoke.
“That seems like quite a harsh punishment.”
“Yeah. So I was secretly lowering my hands to rest.”
“Shall I tell the Young Master?”
“No.”
The Young Lady and I exchanged awkward glances.
My gaze, as if I might rush to Kyle’s Room at any moment, and the Young Lady’s cold glare, as if she’d force me into a resignation if I spoke up.
As an ominous feeling lingered in our exchanged glances, the Young Lady sighed deeply and admitted defeat.
“If Ricardo tattles, my arms will fall off.”
“I’ll pick them up and reattach them for you.”
“Ricardo is so clumsy, you might attach my right hand to my left arm.”
“Wouldn’t that be unfortunate?”
“Don’t tease me!”
Suppressing the corners of my mouth that threatened to rise, I teased her, and the Young Lady glared at me in dissatisfaction.
“If you’re not going to help, leave!”
“I haven’t done anything wrong, though?”
“Older Brother said Ricardo would be punished too.”
“…”
I glanced nervously at the firmly closed door at the End of the Hallway, Kyle’s Room.
“Really?”
“No. I made that up.”
Annoyed by the Young Lady’s joke, I flicked her forehead.
“Why did you hit me!”
“Just because.”
“Eeeek!!!”
The Young Lady clenched her fists and swung her arms wildly.
The sight of her threatening me with the Weird Signboard hanging around her neck wasn’t intimidating at all.
Instead, it reminded me of a puppy being scolded for shredding tissues in the room, making her seem more adorable than scary.
The Young Lady, sullenly holding her hands up.
I gently held her wrist, allowing her a small reprieve.
The expression of the Young Lady, who had been frowning while holding her hands up, softened at the small gesture.
“Is it very hard for you?”
“Yeah. My shoulders have been screaming since earlier.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
The Young Lady smiled bashfully and replied.
“Three minutes.”
“Ugh.”
I let go of her hand abruptly.
“How can you claim it’s hard after just that much!”
“Why!!! It’s not my fault it’s hard!”
“Endure for ten minutes.”
“Eeeek! No!”
The Young Lady whined and coquettishly begged me to hold her hand. She provocatively suggested that if I held her hand, it would be less tiring, and we could spend the whole day like this.
It was a tempting proposal I wanted to accept immediately, but knowing Kyle would surely catch me and scold me, I held back with tears in my eyes.
“So, did you have a good talk?”
I asked the Young Lady in a gentle voice.
Asking if the conversation went well.
Although it wouldn’t be solved with just one conversation, seeing her being punished in such an adorable manner made me think the talk went reasonably well.
Judging by the absence of Servants in the corridor, it seemed Kyle had restricted access to this part of the estate.
The Young Lady lowered her head and answered in a shy voice to my question.
“I don’t know… Older Brother said he’d be angry until tomorrow, so I’m not sure.”
“And yet, he’s giving you this kind of punishment?”
“…Isn’t that better than scolding me a lot?”
I flicked the Young Lady’s forehead with a smile as she asked with an innocent face.
“Pfft… I don’t know either.”
The Young Lady tilted her head with a Question Mark above her, asking me what I meant, but I kept my lips sealed and left her to figure it out on her own.
Really, Kyle was so insincere.
As I was having a trivial conversation with the Young Lady.
-Click… Click…
From the stairs on the 4th floor, the sound of shoe heels hitting the floor echoed. As the clear sound of the heels grew closer to the 3rd floor where we were, I adjusted my attire and peeked at the approaching figure.
Today, dressed in a dark navy uniform.
As the figure of a Middle-Aged Man with neatly styled hair came into view, I bowed my head to show respect.
“Good morning, Head of the Household.”
“Yes, good morning, Ricardo.”
Neatly dressed, Darbav waved his hand at me in greeting.
Stopping in front of the corridor where we stood, Darbav looked down at the Young Lady with a surprised expression.
“You’re doing something interesting, Olivia.”
The Young Lady, with a sullen expression, addressed Darbav.
“Father. Good morning.”
“Yes. Did you sleep well, Olivia?”
“No.”
“I see.”
Darbav nodded and patted the Young Lady’s head. Stroking her soft hair for a long time, Darbav.
The Young Lady looked up at Darbav and asked.
“Father. Did you come to save me?”
“No.”
“…”
The Young Lady lowered her head sullenly.
“Kyle’s stubbornness is something I can’t break.”
“It’s okay.”
A solemn emotion enveloped the corridor of the estate. After a brief silence, I asked, curious about the wooden signboard in Darbav’s hand.
“Head of the Household. What is that in your hand?”
“Ah… This?”
Darbav shrugged his shoulders.
Standing beside the Young Lady as if it were natural, Darbav spoke in a confident voice.
“It’s a Love Message from Rosanna.”
Then, as if it were routine, he hung the wooden signboard around his neck.
The Young Lady looked at Darbav and asked.
“Father. What are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
[I will not cause a disturbance in the morning.]
“I came to be punished.”
Having been scolded by Rosanna, Darbav sighed, hung the signboard around his neck, and raised both hands as if accustomed to it.
Darbav looked at me and asked.
“Did you come to be scolded too?”
“No, I did not.”
“I’m envious.”
The Head of the Household genuinely said he was envious.
To my bewilderment, Darbav spoke with an unwavering expression.
“If you have a moment to spare, could you go ask Rosanna how long I have to keep my hands up?”
Seeing Darbav utter such an unconventional remark with a stoic face almost made me laugh, but I barely held back the laughter that threatened to escape, as his expression was more serious than ever.
In any other household, it would be unimaginable to treat the Head of the Household like this, but in the Desmond family, it was a common sight.
Admiring his demeanor, I headed toward the kitchen where Rosanna was.
“I’ll be back.”
“Take your time coming back; it seems fine.”
Darbav glanced at the Young Lady and spoke.
Later, I found out that Rosanna had never told Darbav to do such a thing. It was merely a small excuse from a Father who wanted to spend time with his daughter.
Truly.
“He’s a good person.”
Smiling, I welcomed the night at the estate.
***
A late night had arrived.
With Darbav and Rosanna fast asleep, and the Young Lady’s snoring sounding ferocious, it was a quiet hour.
Unable to fall asleep, I went out for a walk in the Mansion Garden to breathe in the fresh air.
A vast park.
Statues of past Heads of the Family stood tall.
Walking through the Mansion Garden, where Rosanna cultivated a Rose Garden, I was lost in memories.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
-From today, this is your home. If you want to steal something, ask for permission first. Got it?
-I want to run away.
-No. I picked you up, didn’t I?
-From today, I’ll become a stray dog.
-Eeeek!
I vividly remember the Young Lady when she first picked me up.
Her chubby cheeks and Cat-like face from her childhood flashed through my mind.
Back then, I never imagined things would turn out this way.
The cold winter air stung my chest, and my breath came out in visible puffs.
It must have been weather like this when I first met the Young Lady.
Who would have thought that starting with a Fistfight with the Orphan of the Slum would lead to saving my life? As a Possessor, I never imagined my relationship with the Villainess would become this deep.
She was the last person I wanted to meet.
I never expected my connection with the Villainess, whom I wanted to avoid at all costs, to last this long.
After walking for a while and feeling a bit chilly.
A familiar voice called out from behind me.
“Ricardo.”
The Voice of a strong Man.
The person I thought would be the most awkward to meet alone in this estate was calling me.
A Man with black hair and Blue Eyes.
“Young Master.”
Desmond Kyle.
With his hands in his pockets, he was calling me. Kyle, who had grown into a Man befitting the title of the Next Head of the Family, had shed his immature past.
We had fought a lot.
He was a companion with whom I had spent my Childhood alongside Olivia.
Kyle waved his hand, refusing to stand on ceremony. He grimaced, saying he never cared for such formalities, and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, offering it to me.
“Care for a smoke?”
While it was a tempting offer, I shook my head and declined Kyle’s suggestion. The Young Lady disliked the smell of cigarettes, after all.
“I’ll smoke next time.”
I bowed my head politely.
“Is that so.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
It was awkward.
Being alone with Kyle.
Especially after the incident with the Young Lady’s Dark Magic.
Kyle lit his cigarette and exhaled a sigh. The white smoke rose into the sky above the garden, creating a somber atmosphere.
“So…”
Exhaling smoke once more, Kyle opened his mouth.
“How long do you plan on keeping it a Secret?”
Kyle stared at me with unwavering eyes.
“A Sword-Wielding Commoner. I understand you have a connection with him from your Slum days.”
Kyle hated Mikhail.
“Why… are you keeping it a Secret?”
So much so that he wanted to kill him.